Apple Bariñan cherishes trailblazing feat in Cesafi soccer

Rose Ton “Apple” Bariñan | Picture from Bariñan’s Fb web page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The College of San Carlos (USC) soccer group made historical past within the Cebu Faculties Athletics Basis, Inc. (CESAFI) males’s soccer competitors by securing their seventh consecutive championship—a record-breaking feat that cemented their place within the league’s Corridor of Fame.

The Warriors achieved this milestone with exceptional effectivity, profitable all six of their matches and making the championship match pointless.

Whereas the group’s uncooked expertise performed a big position, the driving drive behind their success was a notable determine on the sidelines—Rose Ton “Apple” Bariñan, the primary feminine soccer coach in CESAFI historical past to guide her group to a championship title.

USC gamers and training employees pose for a bunch photograph. | Picture from USC Warriors Soccer Workforce

For Bariñan, this achievement was not with out its challenges. As the primary girl to helm an all-male collegiate soccer group, the stress was immense—particularly for the reason that Warriors had been defending champions with a six-year streak to uphold.

“There was a whole lot of stress, particularly since this was my first time as head coach of a males’s collegiate group,” Bariñan admitted. “And with a six-win streak already in place, I used to be anxious that, as a feminine coach, I may be the one to interrupt that streak.”

Regardless of these issues, Bariñan remained centered, collaborating intently together with her teaching employees to make sure each element was meticulously deliberate for the group’s success. Their technique included organizing pleasant video games with membership groups like Makoto FC and Footy Allstar FC, which helped sharpen the Warriors’ aggressive edge.

The duty grew to become simpler for Bariñan due to the group’s unshakable willpower to realize an ideal season—a feat no different group had completed in CESAFI historical past. Motivated by the aim of finishing an undefeated run, the gamers handled each match as a championship battle.

“Everybody was conscious of how formidable this aim was, however the unity and willpower we had made it a actuality. We approached each sport with the mentality that it was a championship match,” she mentioned.

Furthermore, Bariñan’s management earned nice respect from her gamers, who had been wanting to study and embrace her teaching type.

“As head coach, I didn’t face any difficulties with the gamers,” she defined. “They had been all coachable, open-minded, and able to comply with our concepts on methods to assault and defend as a group.”

The Warriors sealed their seventh consecutive title with a nail-biting 1-0 win over the College of Southern Philippines Basis (USPF) on November 24, 2024, on the Cebu Metropolis Sports activities Middle (CCSC). The victory answered lingering questions in regards to the group’s capacity to keep up their dominance and topped them champions as soon as once more.

Whereas the Warriors dominated the competitors, Bariñan acknowledged the challenges posed by their opponents, crediting them for pushing USC to their limits. She additionally paid tribute to her fellow coaches, significantly Dino Musni, who performed a pivotal position within the group’s record-breaking run.

“It was a tricky journey, as all the opposite groups had been preventing laborious to beat us. They didn’t allow us to sweep the season with no combat,” she famous.

Though Bariñan couldn’t be part of the group in celebrating their historic title attributable to her flight to the US for Christmas, she had one other essential aim in thoughts—to win the Aboitiz Soccer Cup and PRISAA regional tournaments.

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